Andrew Boone is greeted by the crowd as he makes his way toward the finish line to win the elite men’s division of the 43rd Pole Pedal Paddle on May 19, 2019.

In perhaps a sign that the Central Oregon way of life is finally returning to normal, the popular multisport Pole Pedal Paddle race is set for May 14 after being canceled the past two years due to the pandemic.

The PPP includes teams, pairs and individuals racing in alpine skiing, nordic skiing, road cycling, paddling and running on a course from Mt. Bachelor ski area to Bend.

“People are very excited about the opportunity to race,” said PPP organizer Molly Cogswell-Kelley.

This will be the 44th edition of the PPP, and it comes with a few changes. The date was moved to the second Saturday in May — it has traditionally been one week later — to coincide with the Bend Brewfest, taking place in the Old Mill District. The PPP finish area and the beer festival will both be in the Old Mill District.

The new finish area for the PPP will be in the west event grass just south of the Hayden Homes Amphitheater (where the finish was previously staged), near the Hampton Inn. The brewfest will be directly across the Deschutes River from the PPP finish area.

“There will be a crowd there that maybe doesn’t normally go and support racers, and that will be great,” Cogswell-Kelley said. “I think there will be a lot of stoke and excitement with the people who also are attending the brewfest, because they will be right there. It’s going to be really fun.”

The PPP stages include an alpine ski down an intermediate run at Mt. Bachelor ski area, an 8-kilometer nordic ski, a 22-mile bike ride from Bachelor to Bend, a 5-mile run along the Deschutes River, a 1.5-mile paddle on the river and a finishing “sprint” of 1 mile.

The sprint distance was increased from a half-mile to 1 mile to utilize the paved paths that line the Deschutes River in the Old Mill District.

“Everything is the same except for the sprint,” Cogswell-Kelley said. “The sprint is exactly a mile. It’s not really a sprint. It’s all paved, so it’s more accessible for adaptive teams.”

The new sprint and finish area will also be more spectator-friendly, according to Cogswell-Kelley, as onlookers can watch participants sprinting and kayaking and still see the finish line.

“It’s more of a festive vibe,” Cogswell-Kelley said. “In the amphitheater, the finish was removed from the sprint and the river battle (paddling), because you couldn’t really see it.”

She added that the PPP will likely be staged the second Saturday of May for the foreseeable future.

“The Old Mill is getting busier,” Cogswell-Kelley said. “There will be more concerts coming earlier in the season, so we will get used to having it the second weekend in May.”

The PPP is the biggest fundraiser for the Bend-based Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation, a nonprofit that serves more than 600 youth athletes in competitive alpine and nordic skiing, freeride skiing, freeride snowboarding and cycling.

According to Cogswell-Kelley, the PPP usually draws about 2,500 participants. Its biggest year was 2008, when 3,200 racers took part. The last time the event was held, in 2019, about 2,000 racers participated.

“I’m hoping for about 2,500 racers, but I don’t really know,” Cogswell-Kelley said.

Registration for the PPP starts Thursday at pppbend.com.